Disquiet
Disquiet is the name given by Prometheans to the invisible aura they emit which causes humans, animals and even the land itself to reject them. To a Promethean, it feels as if the whole world has renounced them. Disquiet has a deleterious effect on the natural world, and is the chief cause of a Promethean's estrangement from mortals. Prometheans have various theories about where the Disquiet springs from, but no definite answers. The most promising and believed theory is that it stems from the use of Azoth as an animator; Prometheans, for all of their ability to walk and think, lack a soul, and the Divine Fire serves as a poor substitute at best. The Disquiet is the emanation from that Azoth to remind Prometheans they are not human, and to alert the mortals and nature around them that something is significantly wrong with the being nearby. In addition, Prometheans who linger in one place and constantly inflict their Disquiet on the local environment may eventually turn the area into a Wasteland. Stages of Disquiet Disquiet may manifest itself subtly at first, but the longer a Promethean stays in an area, the stronger and more dangerous its effects become. Eventually, a Promethean is forced to move on, either by the community, the land, or a combination of factors; those who don't usually end up destroyed at the hands of mortals. Disquiet tends to affect things in stages. *'First stage': Also called the dream stage, the Disquiet affects the dreams and subconscious of mortals who have come into contact with the Promethean. A mortal does not have to remember the dreams to be affected by them; the lack of restful sleep they get is usually enough to wear them down. *'Second stage': The fantasy stage, the dreams begin to intrude into the daytime hours. Anytime a mortal has contact with the Promethean, they slip into a unsettling fantasy about them. Many mortals become troubled or embarrassed about these distractions from every day life. *'Third stage': The impulse stage, a mortal must now resist attempts to act on their troubled thoughts. Many times, their feelings of frustration and unease come out on the Promethean in small actions. *'Fourth stage': The final stage, the driven stage, finds the mortal acting out on the ideas the Disquiet has placed in them. It is at this stage that the Disquiet becomes easy to spread to other mortals, and in short order, tragedy results for the Promethean as the entire community turns against it. This is also the only stage where feelings of anger and hatred do not degrade with lessened contact; the only way for the person to get rid of their feelings is to destroy the Promethean. Lineage Effects Disquiet is affected by many things; the personality of the human feeling it, the social structure where the Promethean is, and even the land itself. However, the largest factor in determining its specific effect is the Promethean's Lineage and humours. In general, Frankensteins may inspire pity or fear, but as they continue to live in a community, those they come into contact with begin to act upon feelings of selfishness and superiority. Galateids, with their perfection of beauty, are rather intimidating at first. For some, these become feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness, while others feel ashamed and dirty. The Osirians cause those around them to lose control, and will eventually cause rapid emotional shifts in mortals that usually end in feelings of despair and destruction. Tammuz tend to make those around them restless; these feelings build until mortals want to find a reason for these emotions, even if it means capturing the Promethean to study it. The Ulgan do not seem to be earthly in origin; from there, humans tend to open their minds to spirits (usually with disastrous results) or shut down completely and become creatures of routine. Interestingly, Prometheans of different Lineages who form Branded throngs significantly slow the effects of Disquiet and the Wasteland. References * PTC: Promethean: The Created Rulebook, p. 167-175 * PTC: Lexicon from Web spoiler, June 23 2006 * PTC: Web spoiler, June 22 2006 Category:Promethean: The Created glossary